Picture Perfect
by beautyqueenlana
Summary: In Rosewood, nothing is as it seems. What could be more ironic than two losers ruling the school after the death of the perfect Alison DiLaurentis? This is the story of Mona and Hanna's transformation - how it began and how it ended.
1. Prologue

If you could be someone else for a day, would you? Maybe it was during a truth or dare game at a slumber party or maybe it was during a gossip session with your best friends, but we've all been asked this before. For Mona Vanderwaal, this was an easy question to answer. Mona would have gladly become Alison DiLaurentis for a day, a month, a year, maybe even forever. She would have given anything for her heart shaped face, and charming smile - the kind of smile that hypnotized girls and boys alike. She would have done anything to gain access into Ali's elite clique, the Pretty Little Liars. Mona looked up to Ali more than anyone. In fact, it was kind of heartbreaking in a way; because Ali couldn't have felt more different towards Mona.

"Come on, tell us," Aria Montgomery begged, twirling a strand of neon-streaked hair around her finger. The rest of her friends nodded in agreement, staring hungrily at Ali.

Ali laughed, a noise that instantly brought a smile to her friends' faces. "Where's the mystery in that?" Ali asked teasingly. All her friends groaned, and Ali leaned forward as if to tell them a secret.

"I will tell you this, though," Ali grinned. "He is so much more mature than middle school boys."

"You're dating a high-" Spencer Hastings asked in disbelief, but was quickly interrupted by a silencing glare from Ali.

It seemed someone was eavesdropping on the girls' conversation. Again. Why Mona Vanderwaal got the impression that the Liars wanted her around, none of them knew.

"Not it," Ali said loudly.

"Not it," all the girls but Hanna repeated.

Hanna groaned. This was a game the girls played to determine who would have to talk to freaks like clueless Mona. "Can I help you?" Hanna asked Mona, annoyed.

"Can I sit with you guys?" Mona asked eagerly, running a hand through her unbrushed hair. She sniffled, and Ali scrunched up her nose disgustedly.

Suddenly Ali's face brightened, and she flashed Mona a special smile that was usually directed towards the Liars. "Sure."

"Really?" Mona asked, her eyes widening. The Liars looked from one to the other confusedly. Since when did Ali allow Loser Mona to sit by them?

Mona sat down next to Ali, smiling like a dog who had been tossed a bone. But Ali's smile was more like a snake who was after its prey. Ali stood up, gathering her bags and walked away from the table. As if by que, the Liars followed her.

"Sorry, sweetie," Ali called over her shoulder, blowing Mona a kiss. "We don't sit with desperate losers."

Maybe the Liars would have been nicer to Mona if they had known where she was on the night they blinded Jenna Cavanaugh: standing on the porch taking pictures.


	2. Chapter 1

Have you ever been gotten second thoughts about something you were so sure of? I don't mean getting anxious before giving a speech, or worrying about your hair before homecoming. I mean suddenly rethinking something you had invested a lot of time and thought in - something that would determine something serious. Like your high school popularity.

Mona Vanderwaal was not someone who would come to mind when you thought of a queen bee. It wasn't that she wasn't pretty. She was. With her ashy blonde hair and pale blue eyes, some would argue she was stunning. Unfortunately when you took into account factors like her baggy sweaters, huge glasses and stutter, it was obvious why Mona was at the bottom of the Rosewood Day pecking order. It was a shame, because she definitely had potential - and maybe she would have realized her potential if it wasn't for Alison DiLaurentis. But Ali's time was over - literally - and now it was going to be all about Mona.

"Mona Vanderwaal!"

Mona stood up from the bleachers and walked hesitantly towards the line of girls trying out for the Rosewood Day cheer squad. Facing the line of wannabe cheerleaders were two tall skinny juniors, dressed in the cheerleading uniform. In the back of her mind, Mona remembered these girls playing on the field hockey team with Ali during middle school. She absent mindedly clenched her fists, trying not to remember all the things the field hockey team had done and said to her. Mona had spent the whole summer trying to reinvent herself emotionally, and New Mona wasn't like old Mona. She wasn't going to get teased, and she was going to put the past behind her.

The first cheerleader explained to them how they choreographed routines, and what their game schedule would be like. Mona's attention drifted and her eyes wandered to the other girls, all dressed in sports bras and spandex shorts with identical lean muscular bodies. Except for one girl, who wore an oversized sweatshirt. Mona tilted her head, trying to get a better look at the girl. Was that Hanna Marin? The girl looked up, shaking her thick hair out of her ponytail, and her eyes caught Mona's for a brief second. For a moment, before she remembered she was the new reinvented Mona, she stared shamelessly. To put it nicely, Hanna looked awful! Bitch had gotten even fatter over the summer, if that was possible. Her eyes were slightly swollen as if she had been crying, and she kept putting a hand to her throat, as if it was sore. Mona didn't hate Hanna, exactly, but there was a part of her that felt totally and completely delighted. Before Alison's death and the downfall of her "flawless" clique, Mona had idolized Alison and her little minions: Spencer, Emily, Aria and Hanna. Now she knew that nobody was really perfect - especially Ali. After Ali's downfall, the clique had sort of fallen apart. Hanna adjusted the waistline of her shorts, trying to tuck in her belly fat. At least I know I have a better shot of getting on the team than Hanna, Mona thought with satisfaction.

After having to perform a series of cardio and strength improving exercises, Mona waited on the bleachers for the names of the new cheerleaders to be called. Nearby, Hanna gulped furiously from a jumbo bottle of Gatorade. Mona ran a finger through her uncombed hair nervously as she listened for her name.

The cheerleader who was reading the names paused. Mona waited longer. Only her and Hanna remained on the bleachers. Mona looked at the cheerleader expectantly, but she didn't say anymore names. Slowly it began to dawn on Mona that she was finished calling names. The only girls who hadn't made the cut was her and Fat Hanna.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Usually nothing cheered up Hanna like flipping through a Vogue, but today it didn't seem to work. The library seemed more noisy than usual, and she kept getting distracted. If she could just focus on the magazine, she knew she wouldn't have to think about cheer tryouts earlier that day. She sighed quietly and crammed a Butterfinger in her mouth. As she took another bite, she saw a picture so familiar she nearly spit out the candy bar. A shiver ran up her spine as she stared at the picture of the girl she had grown up with, envied, loved, hated, and most of all, missed. She took a deep breath and looked back at the page. It was only a typical blonde-haired model, with a heart shaped face and a smile that was similar but definitely not Alison DiLaurentis's.

Alison. Something else she tried not to think about, yet her mind always traced back to her. She tried to think about something that wouldn't make her sad, so she took another bite of her candy bar.

Before she could stop herself, she remembered her school play last year. The one where everyone dressed up as a food item, and Hanna had chosen candy.

"Hanna definitely likes her candy," Alison had said drily. "And it shows."

She stared at the candy bar for a few more seconds, craving the chocolate yet hating herself more with every bite. She stood up and threw the bar in the trash can, then bolted out of the library and into the bathroom, ignoring weird looks from the librarian. She bolted straight into her favorite bathroom stall, the big one that was technically for handicapped students. Slowly she sank onto her knees and then regurgitated her candy bar. Almost immediately, she felt better. A little uneasy, but less fat.

Hanna waited a few moments before leaving the stall. She always spritzed perfume after puking, just in case anyone got suspicious. She was washing her hands when she heard someone cough. Her eyes widened - she was a deer caught in the headlights. She waited to be taunted by Riley Wolfe or Naomi Zeigler, but she relaxed when she saw who was there. It was just Mona Vanderwaal.

Hanna made small talk for a while, so not to get on Mona's bad side, just in case. After all, Mona had just seen Hanna puke her lunch up. Hanna was about to say goodbye to Mona when she brought up the cheer tryouts.

"I can't believe we were the only ones who didn't make it," Mona stated simply. Hanna blushed. She looked around in case anyone had heard, but they were still the only ones there.

"It was pretty embarrassing," Hanna had admitted.

Mona's entrancing blue eyes seemed distant, almost angry. "Did you see the cheerleaders laughing? We're worth more than that. I don't want to be a loser anymore."

Hanna stared at Mona for a second before nodding in agreement. Mona and her were barely friends, yet they were discussing a topic that Hanna was too embarrassed to talk to anyone else about. "Why did we even try out for cheerleading anyway?"

Mona began to giggle. "I know, cheerleading is so lame."

"So lame," Hanna repeated, a small smile forming on her coral lips. "Alison would have never tried out for cheerleading."

At the mention of Alison's name, Mona's expression became unreadable. "We should make a pact."

"A pact?"

"Yeah. To reinvent ourselves… To become the new popular girls."

If this was a strange idea to Hanna, it was a completely foreign concept to Mona. Mona was the farthest thing from popular. Yet when she suggested this plan, it didn't sound crazy. It sounded fun. It sounded _perfect. _


End file.
